Life Line Medical Ambulance
Life Line Medical Ambulance
Emergency Status Policy:
Safety is our number one priority. Emergency Status should only be used during a true emergency. While driving "emergency status" it is required to use both the emergency lights and sirens. It is important to have all emergency lights on as well as headlights. Never use the lights without sirens.
It is VERY important that you always use Due Regard to other drivers. No matter what the weather is like, it is always important to practice safe and effective driving. It is important to be an offensive and defensive driver at all times.
Even though we have lights and sirens we must treat other drivers as if they have the right of way all the time and that we are "asking" for permission for the right of way.
During poor weather conditions including snow, rain, hail, sleet, fog, etc. it is especially important to maintain a safe speed and distance from other vehicles. Just because it is an emergency doesn't mean that you can drive fast or assume vehicles will move/stop for you.
It is required that the driver obey all traffic safety signs. For example, you are required stop at all stop signs, yield signs, red lights, and any other posted stop/yield areas before moving through. You are required to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and must obey all traffic laws.
Never text uses your cell phone, or use the radio while driving emergency status. Your focus should always be on the road. Texting while driving is grounds for immediate dismissal. Have a non-driving partner use phones/radio, etc.
School buses with red lights and pedestrians still have the right away to squads. If a bus has their red lights and hazzards on, the squad will stop until directed by the school bus driver, or once the flashers have been turned off.
Extra caution is needed on rural/ unpaved roads or in construction zones.
All persons in the ambulance must be seat belted in. This includes employees, passengers, and patients.
Persons on probation can not use emergency status until cleared by their supervisor. This is a minimum of a 90 day probation peroid.
Drivers must have a valid Ohio Drivers license, and be covered by our insurance to drive any Life Line Medical Ambulance squad. Accident/injuries caused by a person who does not meet the above qualifications will be responsible for damages.
Remember- Safety first!
Policy in place 1999
Revised September 2010
Revised Sept 2011
Required Reading:July 2010 for all staff
Back To Basics: “True Emergency” And “Due Regard”
Emergency Vehicle Operations
Michael Wilbur, Firehouse® contributing editor (April 2003)
What is a "true emergency" and how does it affect me as an emergency vehicle operator?
Most states’ vehicle and traffic laws define emergency operations this way: "The operating or parking of an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in transporting a sick or injured person; transporting prisoners; pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law; or responding, working or assisting at the scene of an accident, disaster, police call, alarm of fire,
actual or potential release of hazardous materials or other emergency. Emergency operations shall not include returning from such service".
If an accident occurs, an emergency vehicle operator is likely to be judged in this way: "Did you have reasonable grounds, based on dispatch information and personnel experienced to believe that you were responding to a TRUE EMERGENCY?"
What is a TRUE Emergency?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Emergency Vehicle Operators Course Instructor's Manual, "a TRUE EMERGENCY is a situation in which there is a high probability of death or serious injury to an individual or significant property loss, and action by (you) an emergency vehicle operator may reduce the seriousness of the situation."
If you are involved in an accident or property damage, injury or loss of life occurs, your actions will be evaluated and judged by your department and the citizenry you serve. In most cases, your actions will be judged in the court of law, whether it is a civil court or criminal court, or both. A court will judge your actions from at least two aspects: Was the situation a TRUE EMERGENCY? And did you exercise DUE REGARD for the safety of the others?
According to the DOT manual, "Due Regard is based on circumstances". In judging "DUE REGARD," the principal criteria used are: Was there "enough" notice of approach to allow other motorists and pedestrians to clear a path to protect themselves? If you do not give notice of your approach until a collision is inevitable, you have probably not satisfied the principal of due re-
gard for the safety of others.
In determining whether an emergency vehicle operator was exercising due regard in the use of signaling equipment, for example, the courts will consider, the following points:
A. Was it reasonably necessary to use the signaling equipment, given the circumstances?
B. Was the signaling equipment actually used?
C, Was the signal audible and/or visible to motorists and pedestrians?
A widely accepted way of determining "due regard" is, "A reasonably careful man performing similar duties and under the same circumstances, would act in the same manner."
How many of your calls are true emergencies? The answer very few, ironically whether you are a career firefighter in New York City, Bowling Green, Kentucky, or Phoenix, Arizona, or a volunteer firefighter in Fuller Road, Lansing, Bethpage, Middle Hope, Howells or Otisville, the percentage of true emergency calls is the same, on average about 2% to 5%. Generally, career depart-
ments do far more runs than their volunteer counterparts; however, the percentage of true emergency calls is the same regardless of where you are performing those firefighting duties.
So, one would ask the question why are the fire trucks, police cars and ambulances using their lights and sirens almost 100% of the time, when true emergencies make up only 2% to 5% of the total call volume? Why are emergency vehicle operators consistently abusing the privilege (yes it is a privilege) of using emergency lights, sirens and air horns on non emergency runs?
When asked these questions as I teach around the country, the answers are pretty much the same: I am safer using the warning equipment when I drive, the apparatus is not covered by insurance unless we use the warning equipment, it's not really a call if we don't use the warning devices, it's not really a fire truck without the lights and sirens on, we are in a hurry to get back to the
station to eat, I have to get back home in a hurry, it's not thrilling enough, I can't get my adrenaline fix without the lights and sirens, I'm a volunteer firefighter and nobody can tell me how to drive, I have to beat the other companies in, I'm first due, response time isn't everything it's the only thing, etc.
The excuses are many and as varied as the firefighters who drive fire apparatus, but NONE of the excuses are valid, not one. The reality is that with lights and sirens on you are statistically four times more likely to get into an accident and that there is a 10 times more likelihood of serious injury and/or death within the confines of that accident, perhaps even firefighters. Apparatus
operators should embrace and be relieved every time they respond without lights or sirens.
Moreover, it is a fact that drugged, drunken and fatigue drivers aim for and run into red flashing lights (visit the website www.respondersafety.com for more information on struck by incidents), so the idea of being safer with the red or white flashing lights is simply NOT true. Instead, you and your apparatus become a target.
Another excuse that I often here is, "the apparatus will not be covered (insured) without the lights and sirens on." Again, this is simply not true. All of the major fire apparatus insurance companies have programs that highlight dangers of over-responding (sending apparatus that is not needed), the abuse of lights and sirens and offer recommendations on proper response procedures.
Next time, we will offer recommendations on proper response policies that are in line with the definition of a true emergency. For more information on emergency vehicle driving, aerial apparatus placement or apparatus consulting visit our web site at www.emergencyvehicleresponse.com.